What should I know before purchasing a mezuzah?

An authentic mezuzah is a hand-written Hebrew text on a parchment scroll. It takes a lot of effort and expensive materials to make an authentic mezuzah; MSRP begins at about $35.001. The nicer the mezuzah ' the more time and attention the scribe put into ensuring that the calligraphy is impeccable and beautiful ' the costlier it will be. It is preferable to splurge on a beautiful parchment, rather then spending the money on an ornamental casing. After all, a machine's effectiveness is primarily dependant on the strength of its engine'

unfortunately there are many counterfeit mezuzahs flooding the market

There are literally thousands of laws involved in writing an authentic mezuzah, and unfortunately there are many counterfeit Mezuzahs flooding the market. Many of these fakes are printed instead of hand-written; some of them are made of paper, not parchment; and others are hastily written, resulting in a shoddy product which is barely legible.

If in doubt ask your Rabbi to guide you to a trustworthy mezuzah vendor.